Under the leadership of president Konstantin Ishkhanov, together with artistic director David Abrahamyan, the International Chamber Classics Festival (ICCF) returns to Belgium from April 28 to May 1, 2026. The festival has a clear mission: to educate, mentor, and support the artistic development of the next generation of chamber musicians from around the world.
From the start, ICCF has placed education at its core. The festival, organized by the CMDI Group under the leadership of Konstantin Ishkhanov in collaboration with the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel, and hosted in both the chapel and the Musica Mundi School, offers students an intensive four-day immersion in high-level chamber music. The program, specially designed for talented young musicians, combines individual masterclasses, guided ensemble rehearsals, and live performances in an environment that mirrors professional artistic life.
ICCF chairman Konstantin Ishkhanov
For Konstantin Ishkhanov, the festival's vision extends far beyond a series of lessons or concerts. "ICCF is set up as a laboratory for artistic growth," he explains. "Chamber music is one of the most demanding disciplines within classical music. It requires listening, responsibility, flexibility, and leadership—qualities that shape not just musicians, but complete artists. Our goal is to create an environment where young talents can develop these skills through direct collaboration with internationally established masters, and thus lay the foundation for the future of this genre, both for us and for generations to come."
The faculty members brought together from around the world for this 2026 edition reflect Konstantin Ishkhanov's pedagogical commitment. Participants will work closely with renowned artists, including Belgian violinist Yossif Ivanov (Royal Conservatory of Brussels); violists Mihai Cocea (Maastricht Conservatory) from Romania and Matthew McDowell (Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel) from the US; Italian pianists Enrico Pace (Accademia Internazionale di Imola) and Giuliano Mazzoccante (Conservatory of Music 'Luisa D'Annunzio'), and German cellist Claudio Bohórquez (Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler"), among others. These are world-renowned performers with extensive teaching experience at leading European institutions. Their role within ICCF goes beyond mere demonstration; they rehearse side by side with participants, guide interpretive decisions, and offer practical insights into the collaborative practices of a chamber music career.
A defining element of the festival's educational structure is the emphasis on experiential learning. Rather than separating study from performance, ICCF integrates both. The most accomplished students in the group get the unique opportunity to perform at the festival's public concerts alongside faculty members, bridging the gap between the classroom and the professional stage while giving young musicians valuable live experience.
In the inspiring setting of the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel, ICCF 2026 establishes itself once again as more than just a festival; it is a close-knit academy for chamber music, a meeting place for generations, and a structured pathway for emerging artists who wish to deepen their understanding of the collaborative art that lies at the heart of classical performance practice.
For the latest updates on this newest edition of the International Chamber Classics Festival, the program, and the chairman, Konstantin Ishkhanov, you can visit the festival website.
